One of Ylandre’s most
prominent nobles, Keosqe Deilen may have had it all in terms of wealth,
power and social rank. But in matters of the heart, he was impoverished.
Such was the consequence of falling in unrequited love. Though he hides
that love and his sorrow well, a few inevitably see through his
masquerade.
Young Tristen Marante is quick to discern Keosqe’s
pain. His blunt sympathy is a balm to Keosqe’s wounded heart as much as
his beauty is an effective distraction from the noble’s hopeless
yearning. But Tristen is a skittish would-be lover, whose reluctance to
express his affection is as much an impediment as the lack of
reciprocation from Keosqe’s first love had been. Whereas Keosqe seeks
intimacy, Tristen shies from it, suspicious of the motives behind his
pursuit and unwilling to yield his heart so easily or soon.
With
such different perspectives toward lust and love, is it any wonder their
path to a common goal is strewn with stumbling blocks and paved with
false impressions?
Comment: This is another book in the Chronicles of Ylandre series. The most recent one was recently released and I'm eager to read it despite this one not being as amazing as the previous ones. Some things seemed weaker and it wasn't as enjoyable either.
This is Keosqe's story, he's another of the many cousins to the king and a close friend too to pretty much all the characters we've met so far.
Keosqe has been in love with his best friend since they were young and they were even intimate. Now his friend, who never returned his deep feelings, married and asked Keosqe to help his younger brother by letting him live with him while he went about his studies. But Keosqe gets closer to Tristen not realizing his feelings are changing too.
Tristen doesn't like to be someone else's trouble and doesn't like to be in debt. But the time with Keosqe teaches him many things among them the value of patience and waiting.
Well, these stories are heavily set in the workings of a hermaphrodite society but much of the details are obviously similar to those old Victorian ideals of innocence and power plays between older and younger people, namely the older should take care for the youngest and wait until they are of age before sexual activity and other more adult ways of acting. Despite nothing out of place happens here, it's a bit too much on the limit how Keosqe, so many times said as just and patient, sort of pressures Tristen for sex. It's not aggressively done, actually it' quite subtle, but there nonetheless. I think it wasn't the best way to carry on things. There's a fine line almost crossed here that I feel it's unnecessary because the tone of the books so far has been more focused on the romance and the balance in it, the emotions and in this case it missed the mark because the way things were done, I felt it wasn't as good as we were used to.
I also had the feeling this story had a more boring tone than any other. I don't know exactly how to explain, perhaps because I've never warmed up to Keosqe and reading his story was more of a task than I imagined. I just didn't feel as eager to read and not even the most emotional parts, which in the previous book always made me shed a tear here and there, weren't as polished and to the point as before. Tristan and Keosqe had their obstacles but I wasn't as motivated to read as that.
The plot follows the usual patterns, some sort of mutual interests at some point, seduction, caring, betrayal and making up, of course with different details for each story. In this book's case it was so but it just wasn't as thrilling or well shaped, I thought it was more of the same and I felt the difference in writing, it felt weaker somehow. Still, I enjoyed seeing beloved characters, some details here and there and the overall plot details.
The romance felt lacking strength and beauty and romantic things. It was more like a task to be done so I wasn't even overjoyed with the HEA.
Not the author's best, I think.
I really hope the next one keeps up with the goodness and isn't like this one. Still, it's interesting enough, if not for more than just to keep up with the series.
Grade: 5/10
Anna Moder has just
witnessed a shooting, seen her car pulverized, and rescued a wounded
stranger only to discover he's really a werewolf. And by her recent
standards, things are actually looking up. Lycanthropes don't faze Anna.
Doctoring a wolf pack outside Grundy, Alaska, is the closest thing to
home life she's known in years. But hitching a ride to Anchorage with
long-absent pack member Caleb Graham that's a risk. Part of her itches
to whack his nose with a newspaper. The rest is trying unsuccessfully to
keep her own paws off every delicious inch of him.
The problem is,
Caleb employs his lupine tracking abilities as a notquite-legal bounty
hunter, and Anna is suspicious of both him and his profession. On the
run from her past, with old problems closing in, she'd like to stay far,
far away from anybody with connections to the law. Caleb, however,
seems determined to keep her close. Are his intentions noble, or is he
working a more predatory angle?
Anna's been dreaming of returning to a
semi-normal life, but now she's experiencing a strange new urge . . .
to join Caleb in running with the wolves.
Comment: After having read and enjoyed the previous two stories in this trilogy, of course I had to read this one as well, even though the second book wasn't as great as the first one. Now that I have read the three books, I consider the trilogy successful and with more than enough elements to suit my taste.
This is Anna Moder's story. We've know her as the pack's doctor and now it's her turn to tell her story. Anna is on the run because someone is after her and she wants to get away as fast as she can and start new someplace else. But she helps a stranger after he's attacked and finding out he's part of the pack she just left and even more, he's a werewolf too, is too much for Anna an she ends up traveling with him to reach Anchorage and leave for good. But neither she nor Caleb the werewolf were expecting the trip to be as enlightening about their fates or as vital for the two of them because their bond could be stronger the more time they spend together...
I liked the story. I liked that it followed the same patterns we saw in previous books and even more important, that it maintained the same feel as the other novels had. I have to say this book looked to be at the same level as the previous one, Maggie's story. It was cute and full of amazing scenes and a good structure but it didn't have the punch of perfection the first book had, at least not for the way I saw this. Still, this book was more than satisfying in terms of plot and HEA.
I liked Anna and her way of thinking, her so called "voice". She is a woman unafraid of the unexpected, thus proved by her work with the pack, and her efforts to help strangers, even though she had all the reasons to avoid others. But through her trials she kept her helpful manner and her courage and she only run away because she felt it was her duty to keep the troubles away from those she came to care about. She is the kind of heroine I like, with many strong and valid points of interest about her personality but with a sense of vulnerability too that makes her more humane. I think the author showed this quite well.
Caleb also explained his reasons to be away for so long and in a way, his reasoning is understandable. But I also think it was the suitable explanation for the plot needed for this story to develop and somehow it felt set up, which ruined the mood a bit. Still, I can't say it was such a bad thing because overall I enjoyed reading the story and following the adventures Caleb and Anna had.
Caleb seemed too distanced emotionally at first but by the end of the story, we see him with family and with people who support him and he changes too, from someone who's been away to someone who always belonged. The change can look a bit too perfect but once again, it felt good enough.
The romance was interesting, a bit fast but the author managed to give hints about time passing, about important thoughts by the main characters to help them deal with what was happening, which, in turn, allowed for a better time frame to be set and the reader can enjoy the romance developing without the strain of too much too fast which usually might be found in these cases. I can understand why some readers find this book to be weak but for me, most of it worked out well.
In the end, I liked how Anna and Caleb dealt with their pasts and fears and even expectations and found new dreams to help them and to care about. I liked seeing the community welcome them and be, once more, one of the strongest points in the story.
Grade: 8/10
In the shelter of her
country cottage, Sara Feilding puts pen to paper to create dreams. But
curiosity has enticed the prim, well-bred gentlewoman out of her safe
haven—and into Derek Craven's dangerous world.
A handsome, tough
and tenacious Cockney, he rose from poverty to become lord of London's
most exclusive gambling house—a struggle that has left Derek Craven
fabulously wealthy, but hardened and suspicious. And now duty demands he
allow Sara Fielding into his world—with her impeccable manners and her
infuriating innocence. But here, in a perilous shadow-realm of
ever-shifting fortunes, even a proper "mouse" can be transformed into a
breathtaking enchantress—and a world-weary gambler can be shaken to his
cynical core by the power of passion...and the promise of love.
Comment: This month, the theme for the challenge is romance classics. I picked this one not only because I had read the first one back in May but also because I thought it suited the theme, as this book has been part of any list of the best historicals ever and many already consider it a classic type of story and it's one of the books many compare others to.
I was very eager to read it, especially because of its fame but also, like the first one, it had been in the pile for about four years...
This is Sara Fielding story and how she wants to do research for her next book, for she is quite the successful writer and she doesn't want to disappoint her readers. By chance she saves Derek Craven and helps him home. From then on, Sara is allowed to be in the gambling house to do some research because the servants all like her.
Derek is annoyed at first but after keeping an eye on Sara he starts to see someone different, someone who makes an impression on him. With time his feelings, always so well guarded, start to change too and their relationship also starts to be different, more serious and sensual...
Well, I have to say I wasn't as impressed with this story as so many readers seem to be and not as much as I was over the first one, which was truly magical and enjoyable to me. This one isn't bad, it just didn't strike me as so powerful and with such a wonderful romance as the first was. Of course, it's all a matter of perspective and in the way each person sees the little details and the intentions of what's on the page, but looking at the two stories, the other one felt more romantic and the characters more intense in their relationship than this one.
So many people have wonderful thing to say about Dreaming of You that I think any new reader kind of creates this expectation of perfection that I felt a bit disappointed because to me it was good, but not the special read I was looking for.
Like I said, the book isn't bad and I read it as fast as I could because I wanted to know what was going to happen but the reading experience isn't only about the book itself, it's our hopes and state of mind while reading too and in this case, I thought it would be so much better. Still, I felt happy when the main characters had their HEA and it was amazing to see the characters from the previous book and even better it was the epilogue, with such a wonderful scene of peace and happiness and the idea that in the end, love will be the best thing to have a good life.
Derek is a fascinating character. He was poor and did things to survive, to be someone that most people dislike and disapprove but they still gamble at his place. However, he hides a honorable soul and that's his best trait, how after such poverty and bad deeds, he keeps an innocent part of himself and develops that to help others somehow too. The dichotomy in his character is very interesting but I thought it would be more obvious in this book and it wasn't so. Although, in a way, it suited me, because if he were an awful rake, it would be even more unbelievable to see his turn of path. I also thought his speech, something pointed out in the previous book as one aspect of his life he wanted to change was barely mentioned here and not even Sara, a writer was seen to help him, or something. I just thought the way he speaks would be a element to explore here.
I still like him a lot, but he's not Alex, an even more amazing hero for me.
Sara was a bit the opposite of Lily. She was sweet and helpful and presented a quiet manner but deep down she wanted passion and love and seduction too. I liked that she never changed her perspective but I prefer heroines like Lily, who seem to be something a bit reckless and after all are quieter underneath what they show others. But I liked how Sara didn't gave up on Derek and on what she felt he deserved and needed and how she had fears and wishes but would settle at some point, just to keep a good life. Not everyone has to be adventurous. I enjoyed her path and her inner struggle between what was safe and the chance of love and was really pleased with the end, but if her choice had been different at first, like it seemed to be, I couldn't really blame her either.
In the end, the romance was achieved, the protagonists well suited after all and even the elements to create opposing forces, like the exes that offered the difference to the main romance's balanced love, were good enough, had enough presence to keep the story line going but weren't too strong to make this a circus.
I think the author created here a well structured story line, since the first book and had a great ending with this one.
I'll keep reading books by the author because even in the things I think could be better, she has more talent than many and the atmosphere in her books is generally captivating enough to keep reading.
This one was good indeed.
Grade: 8/10
The longest life isn’t always the happiest one…
For
now, werebeast Dex Hunt serves on the Para-Ops team, but his true
purpose is to kill the werewolf leader he blames for his mother’s death.
Biding his time, Dex keeps his emotional distance from his team members
and anyone else he might care for, including a mysterious vampire he
met in L.A.
As a doctor, vampire Jesmina Martin has dedicated her
immortal life to healing others. As a scientific researcher, she’s
trying to prolong life spans, in particular those of her adoptive
dragon-shifter family and the werewolf who saved her as a child. Her
greatest hope lies with Dex, a werebeast she believes can gift
immortality to others.
Only Dex knows nothing about his gift or
the fact Jesmina wants to harness it. After a passionate night together
neither expects to see the other again. Weeks later, they are reunited
in France and forced to acknowledge a fragile miracle—a new life
struggling to survive. At the same time, they must stop a group of rebel
shape-shifters hoping to unleash every demon in hell. But before Dex
and Jesmina can save their child or the world, they must relinquish
their secrets, face their fears, and open themselves to love.
Comment: This is the last installment in the Para Ops trilogy by ms dePaul. My enjoyment of the books has been decreasing, so I wasn't very confidant in this one, although we always hope it's good. But in this case I'm afraid my suspicion was met.
This book tells the story of Dex Hunter, one of the members of the Para Ops team and how he is sent to France to look for clues about a case they're investigating and at the same time he gets involved with Jesmina, a vampire.
Jes is a doctor and wants to find a cure to help the race that raised her because they have a very short life span. Knowing about a prophecy and meeting Dex will give her hope and will to go after him but the attraction and the surprises after they meet just make everything different than what he imagined.
First of all, this story was boring. I didn't pay attention to everything, especially when it was about the mission, because I knew it would be solved and it wasn't that amazing. Honestly, this part was really annoying. They keep talking about a mission but it was more like random things while the characters dealt with their romances. This isn't like one of these tv shows where teams investigate and solve things. I was really disappointed by how that wasn't captivating enough because it's the base for the whole plot. This part of the book felt more like something that was there so let's add some scenes about it to make it look more serious than what, in fact, it was.
Then there were scenes here and there with other characters, things related to the main plot ad the mission that were an attempt to explain some further actions and why something was happening that way. At least I think it was this. It made the story feel very disjointed and focused on things that in the end didn't have any kind of closure.
This last thing was also a bit annoying. There are several course of actions taken throughout the book, things about other characters not the protagonists, that when the book ends, aren't explained or solved and pretty much left hanging. Was it on purpose, to make the reader think or was it lack of focus because sometimes things just take time to be done? Who knows.
One of the team's members doesn't even have a end to her personal story.
By the end of the book there isn't even a team, in fact they only worked ALL together in the first book. Really disappointing.
The romance was the best part and even so, not the very best ever done. Dex and Jesmina start being together because of attraction but then something happens, Jesmina thinks Dex is the cure for her problems and eventually they deal with the obstacles in their way and get their HEA.
I kind of enjoyed some parts in their story but I can't really say I was surprised to see so many things without real balance between them. It just didn't feel believable when they said they were in love.
In the end, I graded this with the minimum positive, almost didn't make it, simply because overall the idea was good, some parts here and there were too and this is the final book. But too many things annoyed me to make me want to read more by the author.
Grade: 5/10
Ann Rossiter is no man’s
idea of the perfect wife, yet she has a chance—a single chance—to
insure her future. To protect her unborn child, Ann agrees to marry a
common riverboat pilot. In exchange, he’ll gain command of her
stepfather’s magnificent new steamer—the Andromeda. But as they ply the
western rivers together, Ann is drawn to her new husband, to his quiet
strength and smoldering magnetism. Still, she dares not yield her heart
for fear he will discover her most terrifying secret.
As the
Andromeda steams toward the wilds of the Montana Territory, Chase
Hardesty finds himself falling in love with his new bride. But when
Ann’s past comes back with a vengeance, will their marriage of
convenience end in tragedy—or in love forever?
Comment: I've got the book back in 2010 or 2011 and it was sent to me via bookmooch by one of the friends I have there. I wanted to read it because the story looked promising and romantic.
This is the story of Ann Rossiter, she's the daughter of a rich man, and she is pregnant and unmarried. Her father decides to change her situation by marrying her off to one of the pilots in his company, a mere riverboat pilot.
Chase is more than eager to pilot the new steamer. He has the skills and the knowledge to do so and it's his biggest dream. At first he doesn't accept the bargain but after a calculated move on the owner's son, Chase feels envious and accepts to marry, just to be able to pilot the steamer.
During the following months Chase and Ann start to come to terms to their situation and the feelings developing between them...
I found this story good enough. In the end I have to confess I wanted a bit more something, but the word that comes to mind is safe. The story followed a safe path and nothing too special, nothing that could have turned this into the spectacular level has happened. so in the end, the story delivered what was expected and it was enough, but not special.
The plot was interesting and provided several details pertaining the way of living in the late 19th century in that area. I think the scenery and the historical elements were added in the right amount to turn this into a believable story but not too much to make it boring. As for the romance parts, of course it's weird for a contemporary person but in the realm of imagination anything is possible and there are braver and more unlikely plots out there.
I liked Ann's story and her fears. Her character seemed something at first but as time goes by we learn a lot more about her and even the expected things about her past added some layers to her and helped the reader to have an opinion even if too obvious at times.
Chase was a working man, he's honest and his character has many traits we like in a hero. I liked he never truly changed his character and he wanted what all of us do, respect and recognition by those he loves.
Chase and Ann's relationship doesn't star the best way, but I enjoyed seeing the subtle change in them towards the other and how they saw new things to like and to respect after a while.
The romance was ok but not as beautiful as I hoped for, because their change of minds wasn't as emotional or well presented as I imagined it could be. It lacked something.
In the end, a good enough story, interesting details all around, many good secondary characters but the romance didn't quite got there and that is why the grade isn't higher. It's a good romance, but it could have been amazing and the possibilities are so obvious and it's a pity it wasn't more.
Grade: 7/10
After five years behind
enemy lines, Captain Cyani has to complete one final mission before she
can return to Azra-a planet ruled by a sisterhood of celibate warriors.
Along the way she finds a prisoner, chained and beaten-but radiating
feral power and an unbroken spirit.
For years Soren has endured
torture as his captors leeched his very essence, a unique hormone then
sold as a sexual narcotic in the shadow trade. Now he has been freed
from slavery by a beautiful warrior woman with radiant blue eyes.
After years in bondage, Soren's hormones are so unbalanced that he will
die if he does not mate with a woman. Can Cyani be the woman he needs
to survive, or will this forbidden bond destroy them?
Comment: I got this book I don't remember when or why but after looking at the blurb again, suddenly it seemed promising and I added it to this month's reading list.
This book tells the story of distant alien worlds and in particular Cyani's story. Cyani is a warrior paying a debt by doing missions for her home planet. There's only one mission left before a life of solitude and silence awaits her as a celibate member of a sisterhood. During her last mission, she rescues a slave and she recognizes his species as intensely sensual.
Soren is finally rescued after years as a slave, and his captors have been stealing his essence, his hormones to sell in the black markets. After his rescue, it takes time to recover and his hormones aren't balanced so his attraction for Cyani is understandable...but after some time it becomes more than that and even his life is on the line.
I really enjoyed this story. I only thin the romance could have been a bit more passionate or intense but that can be explained by the protagonists themselves.
The world the author created is fascinating there are many planets, each one with different inhabitants and cultures and ways of living and acting.
Cyani was born in a world ruled by a sisterhood that dismissed anyone who isn't highborn, something we understand much better during the book. Cyani is a warrior and she is close to go home and be alone. Deep down she doesn't want that but she feels is her duty and her penitence, also things we know more about as the story moves along. She is a brave woman and with a sense of honor very great. I think she was a little bit too pragmatic at times and I could see why it was difficult to empathize with her some times but overall, she was sweet and memorable.
Soren has been a slave for reasons we only dcover by the end of the book. He only wants to go home, in his planet people have personal gardens which are an extension of themselves, sort of. He thinks if nothing else he wants to die in his garden. His species are very peculiar and he needs to form a life bond with a mate. Only Cyani is available at first and he would like to keep her, but if there's one thing he understands is the power of choice, since his was stolen for so long. I found him intriguing and surprising and wanted to know more about him and his species and his way of life. His thoughts and actions show a man who respects and cherishes people and things and his character is the best. I think he could have been a bit more assertive in his behavior, usually women are portrayed more alike this, so in a way despite being pleased with his sweet and cute nature I also wanted a bit more decision making too.
The two of them were cute together and in the end I liked how their HEA happened and how everything turned out because if there's one thing we learn, their personalities mesh very well and are suited.
We learn quite a few things about the world, the other planets, the workings of things...it's refreshing and imaginative and I have to say I'm curious to read the second book, hopefully I will get it soon.
I think anyone who liked sci fi romance will appreciate this book for the tenderness, the novelty, the imagination and scenarios created and the clash of cultures when we balancing duty and love.
Grade: 8/10
Detective Douglas Brody
has only ever known the life of a cop. Raised strict but fair by his
police chief father, he joined the academy right out of school, climbed
the ranks hard and fast, and now works homicide for the City of
Charleston. The job is his entire life. For years it’s kept him happy
enough to minimize the side of him that craves what he believes is
wrong. An accident on the job puts him on medical leave and everything
in Brody’s world changes. He has to prove himself once more to be best
cop in the department, all while dealing with Zack – his persistent,
sexy, and out of the closet physical therapist.
Zack is tan skin,
big grins, floppy hair and tackles his job with the same full-blown
enthusiasm he does everything else. When the “patient from hell” is
thrown his way by another PT who can’t handle him, Zack is committed to
achieving the impossible. His new patient is a head strong and hot as
hell homicide detective, who oozes as much resentment as he does sex
appeal. Any involvement with a patient, especially a man who is so deep
in the closet he can’t see light, is something Zack swore he’d never do.
But Brody slowly proves too much to resist…
Comment: I got this book after seeing some good reviews in a couple of blogs. I go interested enough to get the book but only months later did I pick it up to be read.
This is the first story I read by this author.
The book tells the story of detective Douglas Brody and how he gets injured while pursuing a suspect. Then, he has to endure physical therapy on his knee to get back to work. But his PT is a very gorgeous guy and very professional. Brody feels attracted but is deep in the closet.
Zach is used to difficult patients but he never felt as attracted to anyone as he is to Brody. Trying to keep things professional is difficult but what about after that?
What got me hooked was the blurb. It seemed this would be an interesting voyage through healthy therapy to make Brody's knee better while he would go through an emotional journey as well. In a way, it was so, but I also got the idea things would be slower and more emotional. Although we see a lot of inner battles both in Brody and Zach over their hang ups concerning relationships, I didn't think it was enough when it involved the two of them.
Sure, the sexual tension was good enough and the sex was appealing too as was some of the conversations they had. But I can't say I wasn't expecting more, because I was. This story, these characters had everything to create the perfect environment for a great developed story line with two different people trying to be together but in the end, after all things considered, it felt a bit flat.
Brody has fears, he is a workaholic and he is intensely worried about the case he's been working on. He has an aggressive nature most times and deep down he hides his wishes and desires like a defense mechanism. We understand he wants to be different but his childhood and his father's behavior and influence has left its mark and he fears ridicule and antagonism if people new he was gay. He feels attracted to Zach since the beginning but tries to deny it. I think his character is interesting, sort of well balanced in terms of possibilities to develop but his evolution seemed too fast, although I think the problem is the length of the novel itself.
Zach is a laid back person but professional when it's time for that. Brody admires this in him and so did I, no playing on the job which should be a rule everywhere..anyway, after the job is finished they continue their relationship even though disguised as "training", and we get to know more about Zach. He has a heartbroken past because of a man like Brody, someone in the closet. I would have liked to see more of Zach and his past, his state of mind...once again, I thin this wasn't as explored as it could have been, again, probably page limit or something.
The guys' path towards happiness isn't easy but by the way things are presented, it felt like a bit rushed when parts pf the story weren't, so it's a mixed feeling that ends up being my overall opinion. I expected more, I recognized the interesting possibilities but the results weren't as well done, or should I say, weren't as appealing to me after all. It looked like the author was creating a very good environment and path to finish but somehow it didn't quite got there.
I'll try something else by the author one day...
Grade: 6/10
Minerva Highwood, one of Spindle Cove's confirmed spinsters, needs to be in Scotland.
Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, a rake of the first order, needs to be...anywhere but Spindle Cove.
These unlikely partners have one week to
• fake an elopement
• convince family and friends they're in "love"
• outrun armed robbers
• survive their worst nightmares
• travel four hundred miles without killing each other
All while sharing a very small carriage by day and an even smaller bed by night.
What
they don't have time for is their growing attraction. Much less wild
passion. And heaven forbid they spend precious hours baring their hearts
and souls.
Suddenly one week seems like exactly enough time to find a world of trouble. And maybe...just maybe...love.
Comment: Since I've read the first book in the Spindle Cove series and became aware many people loved the second one even more, I was immediately curious to read it myself. Therefore, here it is and I have to say I did love it quite a lot!
This story features Minerva Highwood and Colin Sandhurst. From book #1 we've seen they couldn't be more different and unsuitable for each other, but Minerva wants to rescue her older sister from a marriage she thinks Colin will propose eventually, so she talks him into a business deal, she will pay him a certain sum if he goes with her to Scotland for a symposium and doesn't care about her reputation.
Colin is known as a rake and reckless man. But he never ruined an innocent and isn't willing to start now. However, circumstances force him to go with Minerva mostly to help her, or so he tells himself. But as the week of travel moves along, Min and Colin have more fun and more deep conversations they ever imagined and even best, the other might be exactly what they most wanted in life...
I really enjoyed Minerva and Colin's story. It was both funny and sentimental but not in a exaggerated way, I think the tone was perfect for the story and the purpose. None of the main characters were supposed to be dummies or conceited. I think they worked out well together and even in the aspects they clashed, it wasn't in such a way the reader would feel any lack of balance between them, in fact, the opposite happened, the characteristics of each other suited the other well, and I finished the book with the feeling that couple was perfect together. The only thing I thought was a bit too much was the sugary in the end, but considering everything ended so well, I can't really complain too much.
Colin is a fascinating character. He has a reputation but deep down he is has as much fears as anyone else. He tries to present a side of him that others won't look too deep into and he likes his life is what everyone sees, but he hides fears and wishes like everyone, just doesn't think he is good enough to chase dreams or to be what everyone around him wants him to be. I think his slow path towards redemption, let's call it that is highly influenced by Min and how she sees the world. In a way she helped him to dream and to realize he could be as happy as he wanted.
Minerva is very protective of her sisters and she knows that, not being a beauty of an accomplished society girl, her aims have to go elsewhere. She thinks about geology and how to impress those who deal with it. She made a huge discovery but can't travel to Scotland alone so she tries to blackmail Colin but he has honor after all. Min has an amazing evolution, she has so much to give to others and she proves to Colin over and over she could be as funny as him if he only accepted he was worthy of being loved.
The relationship between the two of them is unique and full of new things for both. There's lessons learned about who they are and what they can achieve if they trust one another and themselves. I liked how the author made them change for better in each other's company and how they faced their wishes and dreams together, it was sweet.
The book has many deep scenes where we learn more about their minds and thoughts and there are lighter moments to give the deep moments an even more special meaning.
I think this story was very romantic and well balanced in all parts. I really can't wait to read more in the series and I hope the following ones are as good for me as this one.
Grade: 9/10
Ninety-one year old Ira
Levinson is in trouble. Struggling to stay conscious after a car crash,
an image of his long-dead wife Ruth appears. Urging him to hang on, she
lovingly recounts the joys and sorrows of their life together.
Recovering
from a break-up, college student Sophia Danko meets the young, rugged
Luke and is thrown into a world far removed from her privileged school
life. Sophia sees a new and tantalising future for herself, but Luke has
a secret which threatens to break it all apart.
Comment: It has been quite a while since I've read a book by Nicholas Sparks. I'm very fond of his first books but some of the most recent weren't as appealing and the four before this one I didn't even read yet along with a couple more. I found this one at the library, so obviously I've read the translation and it reminded me of starry nights, of a great love story. I'm not sorry to have picked it up.
This book tells two stories that eventually cross over near the end.
There's Luke and Sophia, a young couple that meets by chance one night and from there they become almost inseparable even among the hardships and the doubts.
There's Ira, he suffered an accident and while waiting fro someone to help him, he remembers his life and the love of his life, his wife, whose image he also sees in the car where he is trapped and that helps him hold on.
A coincidence - or not - sees these three together and shows that love is, indeed, the biggest journey of lifetime.
I enjoyed this story quite much. I read the book non stop and it was hard to put down. In my eyes, this is part of the success, this need to keep reading.
The story is divided between Ira's story and Luke and Sophia's. There are chapters, each told from one of their perspectives, although nothing is first person narrator. We just see things through their POVs.
Ira had a very interesting life, we follow his memories from his childhood to his love Ruth, to the challenges in his life, namely the war, and his marriage years. We see the path he and Ruth took and the joys and the tears. Theirs was a happy life nonetheless, but the way things are told is the real magic, because it's emotional and deep and it makes you think about what it would be like to live a love like that and that there is hope for everyone to have such a romance. It was beautiful and I liked Ira's parts a lot.
Sophia and Luke's story is told between the two of them. It starts easily, innocent and develops to love in such a sweet way, at some point it doesn't seem anything could go wrong. In fact, there's nothing tragic in their story, only a bit angsty because Luke has responsibilities and feels really guilty over some issues and tries to help the only way available to him. But this isn't easy nor safe and that worries his mother and later, Sophia. Although we understand why Luke does what he does, it takes a while for the reader to truly see what could happen and the author makes a point when he portrays someone doing actions that sometimes are more harmful than heroic. But there's a fine line between those and in the end, it's a matter of making the right choice, of seeing what matters the most.
I'm happy to say everything ends well, but it's rocky for a while.
The romance is sweet and slow paced and I loved them together.
The end is a little bit unbelievable, highly unlikely to ever happen but I prefer to think this is one of those dream like possibilities that give hope to people, that allow us to dream a bit about what would be like. The end is happy and slightly magical, but the message it's there, the real treasure of someone's life is who we have with us, the people we really love.
In a way I liked the simplicity of the story and I was surprised by how much I liked reading it even if it's not a favorite author. Good book, this one.
Grade: 7/10
The Riordan brothers may
have a reputation for being rough-and tumble, but Patrick has always
been the gentle, sweet-natured one. These days, his easygoing manner is
being tested by his high-octane career as a navy pilot. But for the
Riordan brothers, when the going gets tough…the tough find the love of a
good woman. Except the woman who has caught Patrick’s attention is Jack
Sheridan’s very attractive niece.
Angie LeCroix comes to Virgin
River to spend Christmas relaxing, away from her well-intentioned but
hovering mother. Yet instead of freedom, she gets Jack Sheridan. If her
uncle had his way, she’d never go out again. And certainly not with
rugged, handsome Patrick Riordan. But Angie has her own idea of the kind
of Christmas she wants—and the kind of man!
Patrick and Angie
thought they wanted to be left alone this Christmas—until they meet each
other. Then they want to be left alone together. But the Sheridan and
Riordan families have different plans for Patrick and Angie—and for
Christmas, Virgin River–style!
Comment: After a year and a half I finally got to the last book in the Virgin River series by Robyn Carr.
This series has been a good company and provided long hours of entertainment. There are better and less favorite books but overall, the series was a success and one I'll feel rather sad to be leaving. Any reader knows there's always re-reads but nothing will ever feel like meeting a story for the first time. Still, only good things to say because the good stories are many more than the ones I didn't like as much. What a fascinating group of characters to have met!
As for this final book, it's Patrick Riordan's story, he's the youngest brother of a clan we've met during the series. He's recovering from the death of his best friend and feels conflicted and guilty and wants to help his friend's widow. In Virgin River he hopes to come to terms and decide what's going to happen in the future. He meets Angie, she's Jack's niece, who suffered an accident and wants to be on her own for a while to think things over as well. Their goals are similar and the path they take too because in Virgin River people get closer than they ever imagined...
This story was good, cute. I don't think it was totally wonderful because to my way of thinking, the romance happened so fast and Angie being so young. I guess in my head I'll think about this more the beginning of the romance and not a HEA set in stone. Still, the main characters, Paddy and Angie were good together when they interacted and the things they had to deal with not easy or superfluous. I admire people who have doubts but think and come up with solutions and new goals too, new tactics to solve their problems. Also, both Paddy and Angie were considering radical changes to their lives and for someone like me, who enjoy my routine and and the simplicity of things, I also admire those who act differently and think so far ahead. Paddy and Angie seemed very brave and I admired that. Of course there would be challenges for them but just the courage was quite the trait to see in them. At the same time, it seemed, like so often in these novels, that solutions were easy to figure out for everyone. Not to accomplish, but to consider, to imagine. I think real life surely isn't that easy and although the character's situations are hard and often difficult, eventually the solution is easier and that feels a bit like too fairy tale, in a certain way.
Angie is young and the way she acted was many times like someone more mature. I don't mean to say all 21 year olds are childish because they aren't but the fact she acted so mature most times wasn't as believable as that. Of course, this was just my impression, a personal take.
Paddy had some issues to deal with and he thought of Angie as someone to be with for a while because they hit if off from the start. But their relationship soon got more intense and often moments between them were beautiful and with meaning. It was romantic in the most part.
Almost all Virgin River characters are mentioned in this book, at least the most important ones. It's always nice to see them, because that is the true sense of community, the way people interact and are part of something. I'd like to see an epilogue of them all, who knows in a short story one day...
In the end, I felt a bit sad because it was ending even though it's not the book that will be in my mind the most. Still, a very cute and emotional as always finish to a great series.
Grade: 7/10
* * *
Now the series is completed, here is my top 5 of the Virgin River books:
5) Sunrise Point -> Loved the starting plot, and the heroine's hardships made her so much worthier of happiness.
4) Moonlight Road -> Good story, great characters and a cute HEA too.
3) Virgin River -> Liked the story, the characters and the development. Great start.
2) Virgin River Christmas -> So emotional, it made me cry but loved it!
1) Forbidden Falls -> A great story, the couple I loved the most and was happier to see together. The one I'll re-read the soonest. Wonderful!!
Nicole Martin was only
eight years old when the vampire slaves rose up in rebellion and killed
her family. Now she devotes her life to finding a vaccine against
vampirism, hoping to wipe out her memories—along with every bloodsucker
on the planet. But there’s one thing she cannot destroy: her searing,
undeniable attraction for the one man she should hate and fear the most .
. .
A member
of the renegade vampire MoonBound Clan, Riker is haunted by demons of
his own. When he recognizes Nicole and remembers how her family enslaved
his loved ones, his heart burns for vengeance. But when he kidnaps
Nicole and holds her in a secret lair, his mortal enemy becomes his soul
obsession, his greatest temptation, and, perhaps, his only salvation—a
hot-blooded lover who could heal him with her touch . . . or bury him
forever.
Comment: I've bought this book not long after its release but as usual, always got busy with other things and it kind of was left forgotten for a while. I knew some friends liked it so I finally picked it and started reading.
This story is about a different world, where vampires exist and they have been slaves to humans for a long time until several rebellions happened. Nowadays humans and vampires are enemies for the most part, and in particular a company is the vampire's biggest enemy because it uses and kills vampires for science when it hides profitable and inhuman conditions and treatment of vampires.
Nicole Martin is the company's new director but she doesn't agree with the way things are done although she hates vampires for what they did to her family. One day she is kidnapped and that is starting point for her to see how things are in the vampires' side and how that will change her own life.
After years reading this author's successful and funny Demonica series, it was very difficult not to compare the style and the tone of the two worlds. I know it's different, there's no connection between them, but when one has so many pages read it's very hard not to compare, especially after finishing reading.
Of course, taste is personal and so is the way we see each story and how things happen in it, but after years of reading Demonica it was rather obvious this new world is darker, more serious and it has a certain vibe that leaves you in a different mood and creates another feeling after reading. I wouldn't say this is bad or good or whatever when comparing to Demonica, because what we can compare is the writing style and the success of the reading experience as the most obvious things. But in a way, by saying what we think about one or the other and making that relationship, is another way to talk about what we intend. So, in this case, for those who read Demonica, this new world takes more time to take us in and although still sexy, I don't think it had the same level of intensity about the intimacy the other series has, or at least it didn't look like it. I had the feeling things are more seriously done here or maybe is the way the characters were that gave that idea, there isn't much play or easy living in the story and that tone shapes things too.
The main characters seemed ok together, but obviously they had many obstacles to overcome, namely the way their pasts made them who and how they were. Their story was interesting enough because neither was silly or too much of a cliché. Of course there were things about them I'd have liked to change or to have been done differently, but overall, I liked the pace of their romance and how what they feared, how their experiences made them act like that but weren't a stop to happiness or for them to simply understand what they thought were weaknesses and tragedies could be tools to give them strength to be together eventually. The personal side of things was good, I think.
There are several secondary elements to give interest to this story. I felt everything was thought, structured even if cliché at some points. I'm curious to see what happens next to some characters although I must confess I'm not crazy with eagerness to read...with time it will be enough.
I felt the goal was different here and the author wanted to show the same genre written by her could be understood differently by her readers and in that, she did it. Of course, one can say it's not fair to compare books or series, but despite being so, it's too easy to let it happen so...
As for this series I liked it, didn't loved it to pieces but will read more...eventually.
Grade: 6/10
For more than three hundred years, Bluff House has sat above Whiskey Beach, guarding its shore - and its secrets.
To
summer tourists, it's the crown jewel of the town's stunning scenery.
To the residents of Whiskey Beach, it's landmark and legend. To Eli
Landon, it's home...
A Boston lawyer, Eli has weathered an
intense year of public scrutiny and police investigation after being
accused of murdering his soon-to-be ex-wife. And though there was never
enough evidence to have him arrested, his reputation is in tatters as
well as his soul. He need sanctuary. He needs Bluff House.
While
Eli's beloved grandmother is in Boston, recuperating from a nasty fall,
Abra Walsh has card for Bluff House, among her other jobs as yoga
instructor, jewelry maker, and massage therapist. She is a woman with
an open heart and a wide embrace, and no one is safe from her special,
some would say over-bearing, brand of nurturing - including Eli.
He
begins to count on Abra for far more than her cooking, cleaning, and
massage skills, and starts to feel less like a victim - and more like
the kind of man who can finally solve the murder of his wife and clear
his name. But Bluff House's many mysteries are a siren song to someone
intent on destroying Eli and reaping the rewards. He and Abra will
become entangled in a centuries-old net of rumors and half-truths that
could pull them under the thunderous waters of Whiskey Beach...
Comment: As many who come here know, I'm a fan of Nora Roberts. As with all authors, I like some of her books better than others. I'm happy to have enjoyed this one as well, I must say I'm truly satisfied she's getting good books lately after some not as well done titles.
This novel tells the story of Eli Landon, a man accused of murdering his wife but he's in fact innocent and nothing was ever proved despite the evidences. After a unspeakable year, Eli has come to Whiskey Beach, to his grandmother's house, to look for it while she's recovering from a fall. Eli feels like a recluse at first but soon he can't say no to what life has to offer, being it food, fighting back or even trying to be happy again. With a little help from his housekeeper/cook/potential girlfriend and some well intended people from the village where he spent great years in this boyhood, Eli will get his feet back up and reclaim who he was and what he always loved.
I think this was well achieved romance. The author has a trademark, a certain style that evolved with the years and experience but many can't enjoy her works at their full potential. Personal taste is like that. Personally, I like her wok, one of the things I tire off is how the lives of her main characters are perfect or close to it even if they weren't in the past. I guess I'd like to see some not as successful people, maybe with not so well done jobs...Abra multi-tasks her many occupations and among them is cleaning. She cleans houses, she does odds things, teaches yoga and has a dream and I thought great, some wonderful characters doing not such a glamorous job...but after learning her past I just sighed because it wasn't as simple as she being a simple character. Well, one has to take things as they come, I guess...
Apart from this and the constant feel of perfection, being it jobs, occupations, ideals, ways of behaving and dealing with life, people, things that ms Roberts always gives to her books and her wording, I must say I enjoy her stories quite a lot...even when the bad guy speak, something I wouldn't mind not having.
Eli is a fascinating character. He was wrongly accused, tried to distance himself from the ugliness of things but only on Whiskey Beach he got some peace. I thin he has an interesting evolution, from surly, not paying attention to things around him to become someone concerns, interested in what is happening, in what has happened in the past, in trying to prove he wasn't the guilty many thought him to be...I think his evolution was well done, well paced and for the most part, I liked seeing him change, getting better, moving along. Of course, I'd change a thing here and there, but it's only a matter of personal perspective, nothing major if one thinks about the big picture.
Abra is an even more fascinating character and I like all her facets..well, apart from one tiny detail but, once again, that's me. She helped Eli a lot and I really liked their interactions, the way they supported each other on the fiction level and as two clashing but fitting characters in a book. Their ending seemed rushed, not because their romance wasn't well done or balanced because it felt like it, but mainly because it seemed it was there just because...that could have been worked out a little better.
The main mystery was intriguing, as always, what happens until we see things solved is the key to enjoy the book and in this case it worked, I was curious and interested. The final resolution once again seemed the easier path and although understandable, it also could have worked out better. But all in all, not that bad.
In the end, another interesting, good book. Not her best of my favorite, but much better than some and certainly worth the time. I hope she keeps going with this vibe of good books in what's to come.
Grade: 8/10
Edwina Ladoux hoped
becoming a mail-order bride would be her way out of the war-torn South,
but as soon as she arrives in Heartbreak Creek, Colorado, and meets her
hulking, taciturn groom, she realizes she’s made a terrible mistake.
Declan Brodie already had one flighty wife who ran off with a gambler
before being killed by Indians. He’s hoping for a practical farm woman
who can corral his four rambunctious children. Instead, he gets a skinny
Southern princess who doesn’t even know how to cook.
Luckily,
Edwina and Declan agreed on a three-month courtship period, allowing
them time to get the proxy marriage annulled. Yet as the weeks pass,
thoughts of annulment turn into hopes for a real marriage—until the
unspeakable happens, and suddenly Declan is torn between duty and
desire, and Edwina has to fight for the family she’s grown to love…
Comment: After seeing the opinion of some people about this book I thought it would be an interesting story to try. I usually enjoy westerns although I haven't read all that many so far, but it's never too late right? Anyway, this story seemed intriguing and I was very curious how the author would play the mail order bride and children's elements into the novel.
This is the story of Edwina Ladoux, she's a southern belle but her house has to be sold because she can't afford to take care of it anymore. Things are harsh in the south so Edwina decides to be a mail order bride and she along with her mulatto half-sister go to the west in order for her to be married and thus having a life for themselves.
Her future husband only wanted someone decent to help him with the house and the children.He didn't count on someone so alive and special and easy to fall for, more so when himself changes with her presence. But an Indian looking for revenge might ruin their starting relationship for good...
I think this book has several good elements. It wasn't as perfect as it could be for me due to a couple of things which didn't looked as well done as they could, but overall, I think it was a good experience with a first book by the author.
I liked the feel of the story, how Edwina and her sister Pru were trying to go to a new life after what they ever known wasn't what they loved anymore. It takes a certain kind of courage - and despair - to leave everything and go start new somewhere else. I think this part was well done and I could see how they were eager for a new start but there were some lingering memories still alive in their minds, but that only gave the reason to try...Their childhood wasn't the easiest one and several clues here and there helped to explain their behavior and feelings. I think this is the strongest part of the writing, how the author conveys huge things with such small details, scenes or sentences.
The plot was both funny and endearing. I was very curious to see Edwina find happiness and joy again and throughout her new experiences with the west, the people she met on the way, her new husband, his family, all this helped her to be someone new and that also changed things around them.
The Indian's revenge is always a sore subject that provokes countless actions and part of me was a bit bored by how much detail was given into it when it would have been easier to focus more on the romance. I liked things ended well but some things on the way, like this I just said and a surprise the reader didn't see coming - which for me was just a convenient plot trick and could have been avoided without the story loosing focus and power - were things that distracted and weren't as successfully done in my opinion.
There's also a sort of secondary romance, not solved in this book, about Edwina' sister, which really left me curious and if there's a reason to keep reading, this is it.
The main romance was funny. Edwina and Declan didn't seem to match at first but with time, the author created a reasonable and later on even expected and believable love story and it was wonderful to see them fall in love, to talk about what they felt like about things and this was great. Declan proved to be a great character and willing to say he was wrong. There's a curve ball for him but as I said, all ends well.
It was also funny to see Edwina deal with the children and how that also helped Declan see how she was worthy and how they could be a real family. I liked this too.
All in all, a good story, good elements and for the most part, a very enjoyable time reading. Sometimes, if the book works for you, that is the biggest goal you could want, just time well spent.
The following book doesn't seem as appealing for me but eventually I'll try. I guess I hope to be surprised and there's always Edwina's sister secondary plot to look for.
Grade: 8/10
Oh isn't this true, or what?
If I had my own house this would be a reality!
Here.
A tormented past has left Thane with an insatiable need for violence, making him the most dangerous assassin in the skies.
He
lives by a single code: no mercy. And as he unleashes his fury on his
most recent captor, he learns no battle could have prepared him for the
slave he rescues from his enemy's clutches—a beauty who stokes the fires
of his darkest desires.
Elin Vale has her own deep-rooted scars,
and her attraction to the exquisite warrior who freed her challenges her
every boundary.
But Thane's unwavering determination to protect her
means she must face her greatest fears—and enter a world in which
passion is power, and victory means breathtaking surrender.
Comment: This is the author's latest installment in her spin off series with the angels. I've had this book to be read for a couple of months now and there's another book in the main series to be released late this year, so I started this one to keep the reading of her books spaced out well.
This story is about Thane, one of the angels of dark, the second on command after Zacharel, and how he finds himself a slave to a phoenix in their camp. He has the help of a human also bounded there and as a reward she wants him to free her too. Thane takes her to the clouds to work as barmaid. Elin only wants to reach her dreams but as time goes by and as their attraction gets harder to avoid, Elin starts to reconsider her goals and Thane realizes what he feared he couldn't have might be easier to catch than what he ever thought...
I was pleasantly surprised with this book.
As any reader knows, each book is perceived differently by everyone. Some things are considered bad, others good and often, if not always, what some think is well done, others don't. I've seen some opinions, nothing deep or explained, just random words here and there about this book. Some say it wasn't bad, but not great, others said it was weak as her latest stories and others liked it. It can't be a hate or love book otherwise such different opinions wouldn't surface. But as every reader is different, also is every single book. The two combined create the perfect environment to produce a book that has an average feel, not too bad, not too great. I think this happens with this book, probably auto fans of the author or the story liked it a lot, others not so much but all this serves to say what works for some, might not for others. While reading, despite enjoying it, I could also see the parts where some people might not feel as happy with it. Although some things could have been better - don't we say this about almost every book we read? - I still think it wasn't so bad, for me. So, the story seemed good enough and I saw the elements that worked out for me to enjoy them together. Is this a bad book, I don't think so, but in a way, I can understand why some would be disappointed.
Thane is a warrior with many things to worry about. I liked his character and how he took care of those he considered family. I liked his interactions with the characters around him and how he started to understand the lesson he needed, that the right friends, the right people to be around can be not only helpful but solid to make his life matter too. I loved his dedication to his friends and how he wanted to protect them. We could discuss his maniac mind about sex and violence but this is PNR and both are more than expected in this world. He doesn't seem as easy to read or accept at first but his changing heart was believable enough.
Elin was a cute character, loved all the scenes she was in. She had dreams but those were more related to guilt than real hope and with time she came to terms about what her true feelings were. Especially funny were the baking scenes, as she is a terrible baker but wanted to succeed so bad. She helped Thane and she changed the way some people behaved because of her personality and take on life. I liked her.
I also liked the character's interactions, even with people from th main series with the Lords and hints about what is happening. I liked the little clues about who might come next and how everything was shaped in a way to make the reader interested in reading more.
The sex is too much in my opinion, or should I say, it's so random at times it lacks a bit of its purpose, which should be to bring the main couple closer and more intimate. Oh well.
The plot continues, some new steps are being taken to reach some sort of end, which I think must be the angel's redemption and realization that happiness and love are the best tools to fight evil and to have friends and a family. But it sure takes long and all the fighting, when not related to something pertaining like the expectation of some character's power or something, isn't that amazing as that.
All in all, not the very best ever by the author but for it worked well and despite some things here and there not as polished as I wanted to see, but still, for me and for what I think the series is aiming for, I don't think it was a bad effort at all.
Grade: 7/10
